Page 236 - Lineman News Today

White. >> it lit up the sky. youre going to actually feel -- you can feel the shock and the pressure of it go right through your chest. when he got zapped, something i still to this day can still feel it and hear it. so its definitely something ill never forget. >> the onlookers are stunned. >> for us, a natural reaction would be for everyone to run over and help him. we had to take a second look, make sure the scene was safe. >> the rescue crew gets the all clear and the biggest shock of the da...

Start pushing everybody out of way. >> the man is moving down the line toward the pole thats high voltage, and the crowd is exposed to serious risk. >> now we have charged lines. and we were worried about charged lines dropping down on the crowd. >> all eyes are on the man as his behavior grows increasingly reckless. >> he did like a high-wire balance. he went back and forth. he was swinging. people were kind of calling to him. >> stop. >> stop, stop, please. >> get down! >> and they were yellin...

Everybodys, you know, trying to figure out, you know, what were going to do. >> officials want to try to tranquilize the bear, but theyll have to be careful. >> if you cant hit the bear and you miss that darts going to come down somewhere, and with crowds around theres also that public concern. >> the decision is made to fire the tranquilizer. the shot a direct hit. within seconds, the 105-pound bear feels the effects. >> shes going. you can just see shes getting woozy. >> it is starting to droo...

Than the gun firing, in my mind. and that electrical sound, that crackle of electrical, you know. >> all of a sudden, we had a bear like exploding in midair. >> and the smoke and the flash, i mean, it was intense. >> and then the smell, the smell of barbecued bear. >> everybody all around is getting emotional. janet blair lets loose. "you killed the bear!" you know, shes going to run over and ring someones neck. >> i was very upset, and i stamped my foot, and i said a bad word. [ bleep ] very lo...

A frightened bear climbs to the top of an electrical pole, three stories up and dangerously close to high-voltage power lines. >> i am thinking, gosh, this is amazing. he hasnt gotten shocked already. >> minutes later, shes blasted with 7,200 volts. >> and we literally had an explosion. it was really, really horrible. >> over the years, drought has driven many bears down from the mountains into the city of albuquerque, new mexico. one such bear became legend. at that time janet blair was a netwo...

>> if you touch one of the wires, its high voltage. it doesnt take much to kill a cat. with amber and her as close as they are, it would be very painful. >> given the risks to their employees, the power company is reluctant to intervene. but by the third day the crowd is demanding action. >> i was going to get my spike shoes and climb up the pole but they said they would arrest anybody that attempts it. >> the police informed us that someone considered climbing our energized equipment to try and...

Town the day before. >> and i said, now that they have baby bear, the big question is wheres mama bear? >> the answer, fast approaching a busy intersection. >> so we get over to tramway and montgomery, and the bear heads for a power pole. and so immediately im thinking to myself, can a bear climb a power pole? >> when a bear feels cornered, instinct tells it where to go. straight up. now getting her down safely is up to game and fish officials like mark burkehouser. >> it is just looking for a p...

Reduced the risk of electrocution. now their concern is whether the man will jump. >> we start anticipating spinal injuries, broken bones, major trauma. >> this is their chance to talk the man down. >> he was just looking up to the sky, seemed to be talking to the sky, maybe somebody he sees up there. >> but as the authorities move in, the situation takes a dramatic turn. the man doesnt jump. instead, he begins to move out of reach. now everything changes. a sudden shift that takes eric and his ...

>> but kim the cat surprises everyone. >> on a monday cameraman andrew brown heads out to cover the story. all day, phone lines had been buzzing in the newsroom. >> people were so upset about this cat being on this pole and them not being able to get it down that i didnt know what to expect, but i knew it was going to be kind of crazy. >> when andrew arrives on the scene, a crowd has formed. looking 30 feet up at one very confused cat. >> people heard about it. i came out this morning, and ive b...

[ sirens ] >> dont do that! >> everybody was shocked. myself and many guys who had many years on the job, this was something youd never seen before. >> eric and his team arrive on the scene to find a suicidal young man perched atop a power pole 30 feet up. the rescuers immediately recognize the danger. >> we are dealing with high tension wires. we are talking about death within seconds. >> its not just the suicidal young man whose life is at risk. a crowd has begun to form beneath him, and if th...